Poll

Government pledge to intervene in plan-making useful tool in pushing recalcitrant authorities

Date: 13/1/2017

Planning magazine reports that a government pledge to intervene where councils have not made sufficient progress on their plans has led to an upturn in plan-making activity.

Catriona Riddell, strategic planning specialist at the Planning Officers Society, said: "It's been a really useful tool for officers to go to members to push them in a more positive direction." Riddell said the department has been talking to those authorities without plans in the context of the threat to intervene. "The government is deadly serious about intervening and has got everything in place in terms of statutory powers to do it," she said.

Riddell expects a small number of interventions. "I expect (the government) will want to make an example of a small number," she said.